Protesters stormed BlackRock’s Paris office on Thursday, carrying their protest against the government’s pension reforms to the world’s largest asset manager.
Protesters were seen waving red flares and launching smoke bombs as they entered the Centorial office building, which is located near the Opéra Garnier opera theatre.
For around 10 minutes, about 100 protesters, including leaders of different labour unions, chanted anti-reform chants on the bottom level of the building. The BlackRock office is on the third floor.
The 11th day of nationwide protests arrived against the French government’s intention to raise the retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64. Last month, the administration invoked extraordinary constitutional powers to force the contentious legislation through parliament without a vote.
People will have to work longer starting in 2027 to earn full state pension benefits.
The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, has taken no involvement in the pension changes. However, workers targeted the firm because of its work for private pension funds, according to Reuters, a protester Françoise Onic said.
In the latest wave of strikes and demonstrations over President Emmanuel Macron’s contentious pension changes, protesters blocked car traffic at Paris’ major airport and police sprayed clouds of tear gas in other French towns on Thursday.
Macron’s push to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64 has sparked months of popular outrage.
Negotiations between trade union leaders and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne ended without a resolution on Wednesday, setting the stage for demonstrators to return to the streets.
